Written Answers Thursday 16 October 2008

Antisocial Behaviour

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25639 by Cathy Jamieson on 17 May 2006, whether more up-to-date figures exist concerning the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued to people with diagnosed emotional or behavioural problems and learning difficulties, expressed as a percentage of the total number of ASBOs issued each year.

Fergus Ewing: Further to the answer to S2W-25369, as answered by Hugh Henry on 28 April 2006, it remains the case that the information requested is not held centrally.

School Meals

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to schools on the provision of gluten-free meals.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether gluten-free meals are readily available, where required, for pupils who are entitled to free school meals.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government does not issue guidance to schools on the provision of gluten-free meals. We expect each local authority to have developed its own policy for delivering appropriate provision for children and young people with medically prescribed diets and special dietary requirements.

School Meals

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how implementation of the advice on special diets and allergies contained in Hungry for Success - A Whole School Approach to School Meals in Scotland is monitored.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that pupils who require a gluten-free diet can easily access gluten-free school meals.

Adam Ingram: HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) has been monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of Hungry for Success through its programme of school inspections. In its second report on the implementation of Hungry for Success , Hungry for Success – Further Food for Thought , published in January 2008, HMIE found that the majority of primary of schools and almost all secondary schools had procedures to provide a medically prescribed diet where this was required. HMIE also found that appropriate provision was made in the special schools that had been inspected.

School Meals

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils were provided with gluten-free school meals in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Adam Ingram: We do not hold that information centrally.

School Meals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when all P1 to P3 pupils in East Ayrshire will receive free school meals.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether East Ayrshire Council will provide free school meals to all P1 to P3 pupils before August 2010.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when all P1 to P3 pupils in South Ayrshire will receive free school meals.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether South Ayrshire Council will provide free school meals to all P1 to P3 pupils before August 2010.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government agreed in its concordat with COSLA that all local authorities would provide free school meals to P1 to P3 pupils from August 2010, subject to the necessary legislation being passed by the Scottish Parliament.

School Meals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost to provide free school meals to all P1 to P3 pupils in East Ayrshire.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost to provide free school meals to all P1 to P3 pupils in South Ayrshire.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of additional funding will be provided to East Ayrshire Council for the provision of free school meals to all P1 to P3 pupils.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of additional funding will be provided to South Ayrshire Council for the provision of free school meals to all P1 to P3 pupils.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when additional funding will be provided to East Ayrshire Council for the provision of free school meals to all P1 to P3 pupils.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when additional funding will be provided to South Ayrshire Council for the provision of free school meals to all P1 to P3 pupils.

Adam Ingram: Under the concordat agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA sufficient funding is included in the local government settlement to enable all local authorities to provide P1-P3 pupils with free school meals from August 2010. COSLA confirmed on 10 October 2008 that resources were provided within the settlement for this commitment and that it remains committed to this policy using the resources made available.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it has met with the STUC to discuss sectarianism since 17 May 2007.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has met with the STUC on four occasions since 17 May 2007 to discuss sectarianism.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations since 17 May 2007 from the Irish Government in respect of concerns about offensive songs being sung in public places in Scotland and, if so, whether it will publish its response.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has a very positive and constructive on-going dialogue with the Irish Consulate in Scotland, and meets with them regularly to discuss a very wide range of issues covering many portfolio interests. The Scottish Government and the Irish Consulate are united in their condemnation of all forms of bigotry and prejudice and will continue to work together co-operatively to tackle these social ills and ensure all of our people can live free from discrimination.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister plans to make a ministerial statement to the Parliament about sectarianism in Scotland and, if so, when.

Fergus Ewing: The First Minister has regularly spoken out against sectarianism, and his support for and personal participation in efforts to tackle this problem in Scotland is well known. In the Scottish Parliament on 18 September, the First Minister reaffirmed his commitment to tackling all forms of sectarian bigotry and will make a statement on this in due course.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to produce detailed annual reports on crime aggravated by religious prejudice and develop a programme of rehabilitation for offenders convicted under section 74 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003.

Fergus Ewing: We are considering the potential for the development of a rehabilitation programme aimed at addressing the behaviours of those involved in sectarian activities, and will look at this as part of the development of new activities to build on what has been achieved so far. The Crown Office and Procurator Service publishes annual statistics to provide a snap-shot of charges which were aggravated by religiously motivated prejudice on its website. This information can be viewed at:

  http://www.copfs.gov.uk/About/Departmental-Overview/diversity/racist-crime/Analysus.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times Scottish ministers have met representatives of Scotland’s faith communities to discuss sectarianism since 17 May 2007.

Fergus Ewing: Scottish ministers have met with representatives from Scotland’s faith communities on eleven occasions since 17 May 2007 when sectarianism was a major part of the discussion.

Young People

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support adding an online component to the Young Scot card to provide children and young people, whether at school, at home or elsewhere, with a reliable way of verifying their identity and ensuring they are engaging online only with others similarly verified.

Adam Ingram: The government supports measures to ensure the safety of young people when using the internet.

  Scottish ministers operate the website www.chatsafer.co.uk which provides guidance for young people and their parents on safe use of the internet. We also work closely with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre who are responsible for developing the "ThinkUKnow" training and guidance, which is delivered to school children in a number of areas throughout Scotland.

  In addition Young Scot, through its websites and own pages on Bebo, Facebook and MySpace provides information to young people on how to stay safe when using social networking sites.

  In order to use the Young Scot National Entitlement card as a means of identity verification it would require significant investment from social networking sites and permission from young people to share personal details that they have supplied in order to receive their Young Scot card. We have no plans to pursue such an approach.

Young People

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support adding an online component to the Young Scot card to provide children and young people with a reliable way of proving their age when they make purchases of age-restricted goods and services over the internet.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government supports the work of Young Scot and the benefits that the Young Scot card offers to children and young people in Scotland. At present, the Young Scot card is a PASS accredited proof of age card and is accepted by the Scottish Clearing Banks as proof of ID to open a bank account.

  The Young Scot National Entitlement card is currently not able to support the kind of application required to use it as a means of online verification. It would require both significant investment from social networking sites and permission from young people to share personal details they have supplied in order to receive their Young Scot card. We have no plans to pursue such an approach.

  However, young people can still use their Young Scot National Entitlement Cards as proof of age when they physically purchase goods and services from retailers.